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Even though the college basketball season has been over for three weeks now, there is still some activity amongst some of Chicago’s men’s basketball programs. Here is the latest…..
The Loyola Ramblers announced recently that they will be joining the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1st of this year. They will essentially be replacing Creighton who joined DePaul and “The Catholic Seven” in what will be the new version of the Big East next season. Loyola was a core member of the Horizon League since it joined in 1994 when it was known as the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.
They played in the Summit League before that which was known back then as the Mid-Continent Conference. Over the years they formed a fierce rivalry with UIC as well as other Chicago schools, most notably DePaul and Chicago State. With Porter Moser trying to bring Loyola back to it’s winning ways of the past, perhaps a change of scenery will be the the boost that this program needs.
It’ll be interesting to see Loyola create new rivalries with Illinois State, Bradley, and Southern Illinois. It is a brand new day for basketball in Rogers Park.
Speaking of Loyola’s former rival UIC, the Flames athletic department announced yesterday that head coach Howard Moore has been given a three-year contract extension. The deal still needs approval from the UIC Board of Trustees, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Especially since Coach Moore led his Flames to accomplish quite a bit this past season.
In 2013, the UIC Flames made it to the postseason for the first time since 2004 and won their first postseason game in school history. They defeated Chicago State in the first round of the College Insider Tournament back in March. Moore has also done a solid job of recruiting local players which were a major asset to the teams success this year.
This extension will keep Moore at Harrison and Racine through the 2017-2018 season. Of course we couldn’t leave you without talking about the DePaul Blue Demons…..
Last week, four players decided to transfer other schools. This week, it looks like those four spots have been filled with the announcement of some new recruits. The biggest recruit so far has been shooting guard R.J. Curington. The 6’5″ Curington is originally from Chicago but played his high school ball at the legendary Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
Oak Hill is the home for NBA alumni such as Carmelo Anthony, Michael Beasley, and Jerry Stackhouse just to name a few. Hopefully Curington will be the next NBA star to come out of Oak Hill. Joining Curington will be Morgan Park guard Billy Garrett Jr., and junior college transfer forwards Forrest Robinson and Greg Sequele.
Earlier this week I was once again on the “Cooley and Chivari Show” on Sportstownchicago.com. Starting on Monday, the show will air from 6pm-8pm moving from it’s former 12pm-2pm time slot. You can hear my interview here:
This Friday night I will be coming to you from U.S. Celluar Field on the South Side as the White Sox return home to face the Minnesota Twins. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm and you can follow on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
We here at Q101 send our prayers, thoughts, and condolences to the victims in Boston.
The answer to this question will be eagerly awaited over the next few months. The 2012-2013 UIC Flames men’s basketball team turned a huge curve in the rebuilding of the program. Howard Moore, who took over the head coaching position from Jimmy Collins in 2010, had quite the mess to clean up.
The Flames had not been to the postseason since 2004, they were coming off of back-to-back losing seasons, and they were struggling in the recruiting department. It has been an exhausting road but Howard Moore has been able to steer the Flames in the right direction.
In 2013, the Flames had their first winning season since the 2007-2008, their first season with at least 15 victories since the previously aforementioned season, their first postseason bid since 2004, and their first postseason victory in school history. Not a bad turnaround in just three seasons.
It wasn’t easy, but Coach Moore’s formula for success is finally starting to pay off. The first thing Moore did in rebuilding the program is bringing back local recruits. Oak Park-River Forest alum Daniel Barnes, Aurora Central Catholic’s Anthony Kelley, Simeon’s Ahman Fells, Thornton’s Jay Parker, and Whitney Young’s Gabe Snider were all on the active roster in 2013.
Coach Moore was also able to get former Hales-Franciscan big man Josh Crittle to transfer home from Central Florida. Moore also had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough from other parts of the country. Players such as Gary Talton, Will Simonton, Marc Brown, and Jake Weigand.
I think that one of the biggest moves the Flames made was being able to pull Hayden Humes away from the grasp of Valparaiso, Humes’ home town. He was aggressively recruited by the hometown Crusaders but opted to come to Chicago instead. All of these players each played an intricate part in the Flames success this past season.
The biggest reasons for this newfound success were guards Gary Talton and Daniel Barnes, along with center Josh Crittle. They accounted for the majority of the Flames offense this year. Role players such as Kelley, Simonton, Humes, Brown, and Weigand also played a pivotal role.
Now granted the Flames did not make the NCAA tournament, instead they played in the College Insider Tournament. The reason why they didn’t make the big dance was because of bad key losses towards the end of the season. Not helping matters was getting eliminated in the second round of the Horizon League Tournament.
But they did get into the postseason. They beat an upstart Chicago State team in the first round, but got out shot by Northern Iowa in the second round. It’s not what Flames fans were hoping for, but it’s a building block and a good place to start. Of course the Flames will have to work even harder come next season.
Crittle, Barnes, and Talton are graduating next month. One or perhaps all of them could be headed into the NBA. Barnes and Talton were the beginning and the end of this UIC offense. Their leadership will also be a tough act to follow. You can replace the roster spot but it’s never easy to replace the player.
With the dismissal of center Matt Gorski in February, the Flames will have to search for another big man to fill in for Crittle or at the very least back up Will Simonton.
In the meantime, I expect Marc Brown to be one of the starting guards for the 2013-2014 season. The other guard spot will be a battle between Joey Miller, Jay Parker, and Gabe Snider. Anthony Kelley will also be difficult to replace. Kelley was one of those major role players who made a difference when it counted the most.
While it will be hard to replace everything he brought to the table, I’m sure that Ahman Fells will try his best. This is the perfect spot for Fells to prove himself, I can only hope that Coach Moore will give him the opportunity. I also expect to see more out of Jake Wiegand next season.
I think for now it’s safe to say that Brown, Humes, Fells, and Simonton are the probable starters for the Flames next season. Let’s hope that Howard Moore can continue to bring in the local recruits and mix them in with core players on the roster now. Next season begins now for the UIC Flames.
Tonight I will be covering the Chicago Cubs first night game of 2013 when they take on the Houston Astros. The first pitch will be after 7pm, you can look for game updates here on Q101. You can also follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
They both made big headlines across Chicago today. First with the major story of the day……
Major news coming out of Halas Hall today that could have a huge effect on the Chicago Bears future. After 13 seasons of wearing the orange and blue, Brian Urlacher has decided to leave the Bears franchise and test the free agent market. Many Bears fans took to Facebook and Twitter expressing their outrage.
While it may be disappointing to the 4th Phase, I had a feeling this move was coming for quite some time. I ask you, the Bears fans to put your anger aside and try to understand what was at play here. The Bears are in salary cap hell right now. They don’t have a whole lot of financial room to work with and because of this, D.J. Moore was not re-signed and Kelvin Hayden was released.
Henry Melton got the franchise tag, and they just signed free agents Martellus Bennett and Jermon Bushrod to moderate contracts. Israel Idonije is still unsigned, Lance Louis is gone, Nick Roach is now in Oakland, Geno Hayes went to Jacksonville, Chris Spencer is hoping to re-join the team as is Amobi Okoye, back up quarterback Jason Campbell is a unrestricted free agent, Kellen Davis and Matt Speath were cut to make room for Bennett {because of their poor play while in a Bears uniform}, Nate Collins was brought back for a smaller price, Turk McBride was signed today, and Josh McCown and Kahlil Bell are also free agents.
So here is the list of 2012 players who are free agents:
DE Israel Idonije
OL Chris Spencer
DT Amobi Okoye
QB Jason Campbell
QB Josh McCown
RB Kahlil Bell
Here’s the dilemma, Idonije wants a big contract and the Bears are not in a great position to do that. They are hoping to re-sign him for less. The Bears may draft an offensive lineman or two or sign a couple from free agency. Chris Spencer had a difficult 2012 season so the Bears could most likely look elsewhere. The jury is still out on Amobi Akoye, Jason Campbell would require a decent price to re-sign, I would not be surprised if Josh McCown goes somewhere else, and how do you spend money on a guy who’s been signed, cut, the re-signed again multiple times? I’m referring to Kahlil Bell of course.
The Bears just don’t have the available funds to bring back all of these players thanks to the salary cap. This is why Brian Urlacher has left town. The Bears offered him a two year contract for $1 million per year with another $1 million guaranteed. Urlacher was looking for a two year deal worth $5 million per year.
Again, taking Urlacher’s proposal mixed with the current salary cap status, this would prevent the Bears from bringing back Idonije or Campbell. Another thing to consider is that Brian Urlacher will be 35 this year. The last couple of seasons saw #54 struggle with numerous injuries, a telling sign that he is getting older.
His speed has also declined slightly, and Urlacher has said that football is starting to take a toll on his body. You put all of that together and it makes bringing him back almost impossible. There is no doubt that Urlacher has made his mark as a hall of famer and a Bears legend. Simply put, it’s time to move on. So now the Bears have to decide what to do with Urlacher’s spot.
Of course they could grab a free agent but how much are the Bears willing and able to spend in that department? The other option would be to draft a new middle linebacker. Could Phil Emery end up taking Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o in April? Only time will tell….
The other story of the night has some historical implications…..
For the first time in school history, the Illinois-Chicago Flames have won a postseason basketball game. Yes you heard me correctly…. Even though they did not get into the NCAA or NIT, they did get into the College Insider Tournament. Tonight they hosted Chicago State at the UIC Pavilion.
CSU had made it’s own history coming into tonight’s game. For the first time in the history of their program, they won their conference tournament, a conference championship, and made their first postseason tournament. But their fun would be short lived as the Flames had way too much talent and depth for Chicago State to handle.
Daniel Barnes got his first career double-double with 22 points and and a career high 10 rebounds. Gary Talton had 12 points with 8 assists, Josh Crittle and Hayden Humes scored a combined 32 points. Quinton Pippen, Matt Ross, and Jamere Dismukes all scored in double figures for the Cougars.
CSU even outscored UIC 39-34 in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough. UIC advances to the second round with an 80-69 win. Their next opponent is still to be announced. Chicago State can still hold their heads high and now they finally have something that they can pitch to high school recruits. And that’s pretty big considering they share the same city as Northwestern, DePaul, and Loyola.
Earlier today I joined the “Cooley and Chivari show” on Sports Town Chicago. Here is the link to that podcast:
This Saturday night, I will be at the Allstate Arena covering the Chicago Rush’s home opener against Iowa. Kickoff is at 7pm and tickets are still available. You can get Rush updates from me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports #REDemption
After defeating Cleveland State in the first round of the 2013 Horizon League Tournament this week, UIC had plenty of momentum heading into their quarterfinal match up with Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Unfortunately, the ride would come to a screeching halt on Friday as UWGB extinguished the mighty Flames 64-63. This game was tight from start to finish. Both teams traded baskets for pretty much the entire game.
The final 44 seconds was the story teller in this one. The game was tied at 61 when Phoenix guard Jordan Fouse missed two free throw shots and UIC got the rebound.
Shortly afterwards, Flames guard Gary Talton was fouled and hit two free throws to take a 63-61 lead. It would come down to the final play. After a series of passes, Green Bay guard Sultan Muhammad found himself wide open. And with nobody guarding him, he got the ball and hit a three-point shot with only a couple of seconds left.
UIC guard Daniel Barnes attempted a half-court shot at the buzzer but it would not go. The Flames were sent packing from Valparaiso on a night where they got another great effort from their top players.
Flames forward Hayden Humes led all scorers with 23 points. The Valparaiso native also shot 10-12 from the field and grabbed 5 rebounds. Gary Talton and center Josh Crittle combined for 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals.
The Flames will return home to Chicago to await their postseason fate. They finish the season with a 17-15 record, and have an RPI of 164. It may not get them into the NCAA Tournament, the National Invitational Tournament also seems like a stretch.
Perhaps a bid to either the College Invitational or College Insider Tournaments will be the most likely destinations. UIC has not played in the postseason since the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
In the other quarterfinal, Wright State defeated Youngstown State 66-59. Wisconsin-Green Bay will have the tough task of taking on the top seeded, regular season champion Valparaiso. As for Wright State, they will go up against the just as tough Detroit Titans.
Both games will take place later today with the championship game on Tuesday.
In other major college basketball news:
Back on March 1st, I reported on how DePaul and the rest of what’s known as “The Catholic 7″ could move to their new conference as soon as next school year.
On Friday, that decision was made official. DePaul, St. Johns, Villanova, Marquette, Seton Hall, Providence, and Georgetown will departing the current version of the Big East Conference.
The Catholic Seven will get to keep the Big East name, logos, properties, and still play the annual conference tournament at New York’s Madison Square Garden. This all takes effect on July 1st.
Here is the official statement from the Big East:
“Big East Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco today announced that after several weeks of cordial and professional discussions, a definitive agreement has been reached that will enable a mutually-beneficial separation of some of the league’s current members and allow an orderly formation of a new conference by the seven basketball schools. The separation will become effective on July 1, 2013.
The agreement, which remains subject to formal Board approval, contemplates continued cooperation and playing opportunities between the conferences.”
Here is what Commissioner Aresco had to say:
“I am pleased that this agreement has been reached. With the long-term well-being of our outstanding institutions and their student-athletes of paramount importance, each group worked through a number of complex issues in an orderly, comprehensive and amicable manner marked by mutual respect. We part ways as friends and colleagues and look forward to the success of both conferences.”
Here is the reaction from DePaul President Rev. Dennis Holtschneider:
“DePaul University is grateful to Commissioner Aresco and our Big East colleagues for the collegial discussions that have allowed us to leave in 2013 and begin our new league. We are excited about the opportunities this endeavor will afford our student-athletes, coaches and fans. We wish the ongoing football members the very best as they establish their footprint in the college football landscape.”
This is from a joint statement released by the other six members of The Catholic Seven:
“We are grateful to Commissioner Michael Aresco for spearheading an agreement that truly represents the best path forward for each of our great institutions and the thousands of student-athletes who compete for our schools annually. It is a great credit to Mike, our colleagues, and all involved that we were able to work through a host of highly complex and time-sensitive issues in such a short period of time. We are pleased that we reached this amicable and mutually-beneficial separation by approaching each issue with a spirit of cooperation and shared respect.”
It’s being reported that after The Catholic Seven officially takes the “Big East” name, they will reach out to Dayton and Xavier to join the new Big East. As for the other teams that remain from the original Big East {Cincinnati, Louisville, Connecticut, South Florida, Rutgers, and Temple}, and the new teams scheduled to join that group on July 1st {Houston, Memphis, Central Florida, and Southern Methodist}, ESPN is reporting that $85 million will be split evenly among those institutions for their loyalty.
Also on July 1st, Pittsburgh and Syracuse will be leaving the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Notre Dame was originally scheduled to join the ACC in 2014. But with these new developments, Notre Dame has decided that they will try to join the ACC on July 1st along with Pittsburgh and Syracuse instead of waiting.
The only other options on the table for the Fighting Irish are to either stay in what will become of the original Big East, or join the new Big East until 2014. Hopefully DePaul will have a brighter future ahead of them now that they are once again part of a conference focused on basketball.
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The road to March Madness has officially begun tonight as the first round of the 2013 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Tournament got under way. Illinois-Chicago and Loyola were at the forefront of tonight’s action.
The 5th seeded UIC Flames got to play one final home game tonight as they opened the tournament against 8th seeded Cleveland State. The CSU Vikings had beaten the Flames in both regular season meetings this year.
Those defeats had motivated the Flames and as they took the court at the UIC Pavilion one final time, they would not be denied. The Flames dominated from start to finish.
Center Josh Crittle was the torch that burned brightly for the Flames tonight as he scored a career-high 20 points which led all scorers. He also went 10-12 from the free throw line, and added 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
Guard Daniel Barnes also had a hot hand as he pitched in with 16 points, shot 4-7 from three point range, and led his team with two steals. Gary Talton added 11 points and 5 assists, while forwards Hayden Humes and Marc Brown scored 10 points each.
UIC has truly redeemed themselves from their regular season failures against the Vikings. They used their size and speed advantage to punish CSU and take home an 82-59 victory. Illinois-Chicago out-rebounded Cleveland State 45-32, and forced 12 turnovers.
While things were all gravy on the West Side, the North Side was not so lucky. Loyola lost their first round game to Youngstown State 62-60. Loyola has struggled against Youngstown this year as they lost both regular season encounters.
This was a tale of two halves for the 7th seeded Ramblers. YSU took a 12-4 lead early on, but after a timeout Loyola was back into it and tied the game at 19. The two teams would be tied at 29 at the break. In the second half Loyola got busy right off the bat.
They took a 40-34 lead midway through, but that’s when things started to fall apart for Loyola. YSU came back to tie the game and both teams would trade shots until the final minute. The 6th seeded Penguins would win the game on a last second jump shot from D.J. Cole.
Ben Averkamp’s 14 points and Jordan Hicks’ 12 points just weren’t enough on this night. There will be no celebration in Rogers Park tonight.
The final opening game of the night would see the 4th seeded Wisconsin-Green Bay end the misery of the 9th seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 62-46. As the Panthers head home down I-43, they can now begin to improve for next year.
UIC moves onto the quarterfinals to go toe-to-toe with the same Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix team. They split the regular season series 1-1 this year. The Flames will need another monster game from both Josh Crittle and Daniel Barnes if they are going to win this rubber match and advance to the semifinals.
Waiting in the wings is the top seeded, regular season champion Valparaiso Crusaders. As for Youngstown State, they have the pleasure of going up against interstate rival Wright State who took the 3rd seed in this years tournament.
Who ever wins this battle of Ohio mid-majors will have the difficult task of playing 2nd seeded Detroit in the semifinals.
Every game from this point on will be on a neutral site as Valparaiso hosts the remainder of the tournament. The festivities resume on Friday night.
Currently UIC is now 17-14 and have improved their postseason chances. They could be in the very tip of the bubble for the NCAA Tourament. But at this point, a bid to either the NIT, CBA, or CIT seems like a better chance.
As for the Ramblers, they finish with back-to-back losing seasons. Although their record of 15-16 is a complete turn around from last year’s 7-23 season, it may not be good enough to get even a CBI or CIT bid.
Wednesday afternoon at 1:30, tune into http://www.sportstownchicago.com/home.cfm and click on the listen live link. I will once again be joining the “Cooley and Chivari” show, where I will give my analysis on the opening round of the Horizon League tournament.
Today was a very competitive day for Chicagoland college basketball with two major televised games on the schedule this afternoon. One game was nationally televised, the other was regionally televised.
First up was the nationally televised game between DePaul and Rutgers in a Big East Conference match up in Rosemont. The Demons were looking to end a nine game losing streak while Rutgers was looking to climb out of the gutter in the standings.
The first half was back and forth for both teams. The Blue Demons and the Scarlett Knights were both scoring at will and would not be denied. The game was tied at 32 at halftime.
In the second half DePaul put the pressure on Rutgers as Worrel Clahar, Cleveland Melvin, Brandon Young, and Donnavan Kirk all scored in double figures for the Demons.
They would need those performances as they only got nine points off of their bench. A key injury to Rutgers guard Eli Carter took the pressure off of Oliver Purnell’s team halfway through the second half.
DePaul led by as much as 12 late in the second half, but it looked like they were about to blow another lead. Rutgers guard Myles Mack scored 14 of his 28 total points late in the half to tie it at 62 with two minutes left.
The Blue Demons would rally thanks to big shots by Worrel Clahar and Cleveland Melvin and finish the game on a 13-7 run to take home a 75-69 victory and pick up their second conference win of the season.
DePaul is now 11-14 overall and 2-10 in the Big East for a tie for ninth place in the standings with Seton Hall. The Demons will get a couple days to enjoy their victory before hitting the road to take on the mighty Georgetown Hoyas on Wednesday night.
As for the regionally televised contest, Loyola and UIC battled it out at the Gentile Center in Rogers Park. The Flames already had a leg up on the Ramblers in the season series after a two-point victory back on January 16th.
But today the action shifted away from the UIC Pavilion and Howard Moore’s group entered hostile territory. It looked like it was going to be a defensive battle to the very end.
Especially when the first three minutes of the game were scoreless and only eight total points were scored in the first five minutes. It appeared that without Ben Averkamp and Cully Payne in the lineup, Porter Moser’s squad was going to have a hard time contending with UIC’s size advantage.
The Ramblers would counter the Flame’s size with their speed and quickness. Loyola’s defense also did a solid job as they held Illinois-Chicago guard Gary Talton to just 10 points. They also managed to slow down Flames center Josh Crittle.
Crittle only had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 blocks before fouling out in the second half. Loyola kept hitting one shot after another and had built up a 14-point lead at one point.
The Flames did try to battle back late in the game with runs of 9-2 and 8-3. But UIC’s foul trouble would come back to haunt them in the final minutes as Loyola would go 6-8 from the free throw line to stay ahead for good.
Loyola would defend their home court successfully and tie the season series at one game each with a 69-60 victory. Christian Thomas would come up big filling in for Ben Averkamp as he led all scorers with 23 points.
Jordan Hicks would contribute 18 and Devon Turk scored 10 in place of Cully Payne. The Flames are now 15-11 overall with a 6-7 Horizon League record.
They are now fifth place in the conference and this loss puts them back on the postseason bubble. As for Loyola, they are now 14-12 overall with a 4-9 Horizon League record. They are only a game and-a-half ahead of last place Wisconsin-Milwaukee as they fight to salvage their season.
The Flames can rebound with a victory over last place UW-Milwaukee on Wednesday night. As for Loyola, they have now broken their four-game losing streak and they improve to 5-1 against Chicago area teams.
But it doesn’t get any easier for them as they have to go to Valparaiso on Tuesday. The first place Crusaders have already defeated the Ramblers once this season.
The season is not over yet, stay tuned…… You can follow on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports for constant updates
Both teams shake hands after a hard fought game.
The Flames came out on the fire to start the second half. But missed shots, turnovers, and mistakes on defense would hurt them and ultimately cost them the game.
After leading by as much as nine, the Crusaders began to take advantage of UIC’s mistakes and would eventually extinguish the Flames.
Not helping matters was when Hayden Humes and Josh Crittle both got into foul trouble and spent most of the second half on the bench. Humes eventually fouled out of the game.
Valparaiso took advantage of UIC’s lack of size on the court midway through the half. Gary Talton who led all scorers with 25 points, did everything he could to battle back and keep the Flames alive.
They would come back to tie the game four times down the stretch. But big jump shots in the final minutes, combined with UIC putting Valpo at the free throw line too many times for comfort, the Crusaders scored on all of those opportunities and would prevail in the end.
Ryan Broekhoff led the Crusaders with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Bryce Drew once again takes home a victory over arch-rival UIC, and the Flames drop to 10-6 (1-2 Horizon League). They have now lost five of their last six and they will need to get themselves together if they have any chance of beating Wisconsin-Green Bay the next time they hit the court.
Here is the box score from tonight’s game.
After the game, UIC head coach Howard Moore and team captian Gary Talton spoke with the media:
Gary Talton leads UIC with 8 points.
It’s been a highly contested game so far as I expected. The Flames took a very quick 5-0 lead at the beginning of the game. But then the Flames began to miss shots and commit turnovers.
The Crusaders were able to score points off of those mistakes. At one point Valpo lead by as much as nine, they also began to out-rebound the Flames.
They also managed to use UIC’s size against them by sneaking players into the paint behind UIC big men Josh Crittle, Hayden Humes, and Will Simonton.
With just under seven minutes left, Gary Talton and Daniel Barnes took over and brought the Flames back into the game. They tied the game at 24 with three minutes remaining before halftime.
It would go back and forth from there until Valparaiso forward Ryan Broekhoff hit a three at the buzzer to take a 33-30 lead at the half. The Flames will need Talton and Barnes to keep up this pace if they are to win this game.
They will also need a better effort from the boys up front. They also need to tighten up on defense. The second half will be very interesting.
You can continue to follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Fans are beginning to file into the UIC Pavilion on Chicago’s Near West Side tonight as the Illinois-Chicago Flames play host to long-time nemesis Valparaiso.
The Flames come into this one losing four out of their last five. At the moment they are 10-5 (1-1 Horizon League), and they are not looking to repeat the same mistakes of the past.
UIC is lead by Senior guards Gary Talton and Daniel Barnes. They have been the back bone for this Flames team all season. Head coach Howard Moore is trying to bring a winning culture back to UIC. A win over the Crusaders tonight will push them in that direction.
The only problem is that playing Valpo is never easy. In 2013, the Crusaders are still led by the Drew Family Dynasty. Former Crusaders and Chicago Bulls point guard Bryce Drew has been the coach for the last couple seasons.
His father Homer Drew was Valpo’s coach for many years followed by Bryce’s older brother Scott. But now Bryce is now in control of a basketball program that put Northwest Indiana on the map.
The Crusaders sport an 11-5 overall record but just like the Flames they are 1-1 in Horizon League play. This will be a hard fought game from start to finish.
The keys to victory for UIC are simple:
1. Prevent Valpo from hitting too many outside jump shots.
2. Get Gary Talton and Daniel Barnes started early and scoring often.
3. Use their size advantage to dominate the Crusaders in the paint.
4. Don’t make the same mistakes that have caused their last five losses.
If the Flames can stick to these keys they will pick up their second conference victory.
You can follow me during the game on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Yesterday afternoon I had the honor and privilege of attending the Chicagoland Basketball Kickoff Luncheon. DePaul University hosted the event at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Downtown Chicago.
Even though this was a DePaul sponsored event, Northwestern, Loyola, Illinois-Chicago, and Chicago State were also in attendance. Coaches, players, administrators, and special guests from each school were present at this star studded event.
Before lunch was served, some coaches elected to speak to the media before hand. One of those coaches was DePaul head coach Oliver Purnell.
The Blue Demons return 10 players from last years squad along with six new freshman. Once again DePaul has depth at the guard position, but this year they also invested in the front court.
When the Demons take the court for the 2012-2013 season they will have seven players that measure 6’6″ or taller. This was something that was lacking over the last few seasons.
Coach Purnell is confident about this years team, and he expects to see improvement on the court. Here is what he said in his pre-event press conference:
After the press pool, Coach Purnell spoke with me exclusively:
Next up on press row was Chicago State Cougars head coach Tracy Dildy. Historically the Cougars have not been a great basketball program.
Since they began play in 1966, the Cougars have compiled a record of 516-777. Coach Dildy has compiled a record of 10-52 in his two seasons as CSU head coach.
The Cougars have always been at the bottom of the Chicago college basketball barrel. They have never participated in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.
In the mid 90′s,CSU came close to making the post season on two occasions when former Chicago Bull Craig Hodges was their head coach.
Aside from that, CSU has always been a doormat for teams like DePaul, UIC, and Loyola. Coach Dildy is looking to forever change the landscape of Cougars basketball.
Here is what he said before the luncheon began:
Right before lunch was served, other coaches spoke to the media set including DePaul Women’s head coach Doug Bruno, as well as the women’s coaches from Illinois-Chicago, Loyola, Chicago State, and Northwestern.
The host for Friday afternoon’s festivities was WGN Radio and Comcast Sportsnet personality David Kaplan. Here was his introduction as the event started:
Each coach would speak in a panel setting, beginning with Loyola head coach Porter Moser and Chicago State’s Tracy Dildy. Earlier this week, I spoke with extensively with Coach Moser at the Horizon League’s media day: http://q101.com/2012/10/horizon-league-media-day/
On Friday, Coach Moser would bring his message to a bigger audience. Coach Dildy would talk about the changes that are taking effect at Chicago State:
Next up on the panel was Northwestern’s top assistant Fred Hill. Northwestern is entering it’s 14th season under Bill Carmody, Coach Carmody was on a recruiting trip which is why Coach Hill was in his place.
Last year the Wildcats barely missed the NCAA Tournament, they made a mini-run in the NIT before being eliminated. Coach Hill told the luncheon guests that “Chicago’s Big Ten Team” is primed to make a serious run in 2013.
And finally, Oliver Purnell would close out the event with his speech. Coach Purnell spoke about his optimism for his team this year, his recruiting efforts, the improvement of his players, and the expansion of the Big East Conference:
After the event was over, DePaul forward Cleveland Melvin was kind enough to speak with us exclusively:
This year will be a defining moment for college basketball in the Windy City. It’ll be interesting to see how DePaul, Loyola, and UIC improve from last year.
Chicago State will have a huge microscope on them, Can coach Dildy lead his team out of the dark? But I do think that Northwestern will make another post-season appearance.
The only question for them is, can they get into the NCAA Tournament?
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